Bedding can dramatically change your bedroom’s vibe, and changing out bedspreads or quilts with the seasons is a simple and effective way to update the space. For a cozy and nostalgic element, the best chenille bedspreads are made of soft cotton with woven patterns that add depth to your linens.
Blush and Gold Chenille Varsity Letter Patch ONLY - Adhesive Backing Monogram Patch Embroidery Patch Gift for Her Personalized Gift DIY Bag ThreeTwo1. From shop ThreeTwo1. 5 out of 5 stars (15,695) 15,695 reviews $ 6.49 Bestseller Favorite Add to New Custom Patch 11” Large Colorful Chenille Fashion Patch, Word Logo Patch, Chenille Patch Sew. OSD 3pc Oversized Chenille Queen Bedspread Set White, Elegant, Vintage and Rustic Cottage Country Appeal, Geometric Contemporary. Sold by FastMedia. Add to compare compare now. $271.22 $231.67. BT 3 Piece Oversized Chenille Queen Bedspread Set White, Elegant and Beautiful, 102 Inches X 110 Inches, Geometric Contemporary.
Cotton is the most popular choice for a chenille bedspread, and that's in part because cotton is comfortably breathable and conveniently machine washable. Depending on the weight of a chenille blanket and whether it contains fill, many of these options can be used year-round. I’ve also included a chunky knit blanket that would look great at the foot of a bed and is also much softer than some similar blankets made of wool (and is vegan-friendly).
A lot of chenille bedspreads have tufted patterns in a traditional medallion or floral shape that can fit in with several different decor styles. Some classic chenille bedspreads also feature fringe along the edges, which adds a little drama but may also be tempting as a toy for pets, according to some Amazon reviewers. For a mashup of modern with this classic bedroom blanket, look for a bedspread with a simple striped or dotted pattern. Some picks either come with matching shams or offer shams that can be purchased separately for a coherent and complete bedroom look.
Get ready to snuggle up with one of the best chenille bedspreads. Each one below is highly rated on Amazon, including my top pick with more than 2,000 reviews.
1. A Classic Chenille Bedspread With Fringe
- Sizes: Twin, Full, Standard, Queen (featured), King
This chenille bedspread is a fan-favorite on Amazon — it features a nostalgic look that might look familiar to your parents or grandparents and is made of 100% cotton with accent patterns around a medallion in the center. The fringed hem gives it a little something extra, and it's available in five colors, including ivory and blush. The lightweight bedspread is machine washable. A coordinating pillow sham is sold separately.
A helpful review: “This bedspread is beautiful! It’s soft, and very comfortable. Perfect for warmer weather- got the ivory and brightened up my room. Shams aren’t needed! Washes beautifully too. Couldn’t be happier and what a reasonable price!”
2. A Modern Bedspread With A Chic Stripe Pattern
- Sizes: Queen (featured), King
If you want the soft and lightweight feel of chenille in a more streamlined design, try this modern chenille bedspread. The channel stripes add texture while maintaining a simple and serene look. This ivory bedspread is made of 100% cotton and is machine washable. Many reviewers note that this blanket is perfect for summer and slightly cooler nights. Shams are sold separately.
A helpful review: “Love this! Traditional yet crisp modern lines that work well in my master bedroom. Love the weight and value of the product. Searched for a chenille spread without fringe, as I have two pups who like to run in and out from under my bed and didn't want their nails to catch and pull the thread. Ordered queen size and the sides go to the floor (with high mattress). Would definitely order again and recommend.”
3. A Bedspread That Comes In Colorful Options
- Sizes: Twin, Full, Queen (featured), King
This chenille bedspread, made from 100% cotton, combines the traditional aspects of a classic chenille blanket with modern and bold colors. This dimensional bedspread boasts a 4.5-star rating and features a floral pattern. It comes in four shades: yellow, turquoise, green, and brown. Its border is decorated with elegant fringe and this pick is machine washable. Reviewers are split on its weight, with some noting that it's a medium weight and perfect for colder nights, and others preferring it for summer and cool nights. Pillow shams are sold separately.
Looking for something even more unique? This two-tone chenille bedspread is also worth considering if you love outfitting your home with pops of color.
A helpful review: 'I ordered a yellow set the first time and it was beautiful and worked wonders for our bedroom. The size was/is perfect. Because we liked it so much we thought a second set in a different color would also compliment our Bedroom from time to time. We love them both.'
4. An All-Season Bedspread That Includes Shams
- Sizes: Full/Queen (featured), King/California King
For a complete look that includes shams and will carry you through the winter, this 100% cotton chenille comforter is the perfect romantic addition to your bedroom decor. It features a tufted floral medallion design and includes a comforter, two standard shams, and one decorative pillow. Its polyester fill gives it enough weight to work for all seasons and it comes in seven light shades and styles that also include damask, geometric, and palm tree designs.
A helpful review: “I love it so much, it looks beautiful in the room. [...]The print is beautiful and not crazy busy for the room either. [...] The white is very crisp and the material is very nice quality. [...]. The chenille is very nice and soft not too bath towel like, which is what I was afraid of. It definitely keeps you warm at night that's for sure.'
5. This Sweet Polka Dot Number
- Sizes: King
This dotted chenille bedspread makes a bed immediately look cozy and fun. The slight whimsy of the polka dot pattern is complemented by a bit of elegant fringe at the hem, and the blush hue of this 100% cottonbedspread makes it extra sweet. This option is machine washable and matching shams can be purchased separately.
If this size doesn't work for your needs, a similar polka dot chenille bedspread is available in full/queen sizes and comes in a seven-piece set that includes matching shams and decorative pillows for a complete look. It contains polyester filling that gives it weight so that it's comfy on chillier evenings.
A helpful review: “This looks great on our bed in a room painted burnt umber. It is a good summer coverlet, lightweight, and it works well with the peach colored sheets I bought.”
Also Great: A Trendy Chunky Knit Blanket
- Sizes: 40 x 80 inches (featured) and 9 additional sizes
I've seen versions of this chunky knit blanket everywhere, and this chenille version may be the softest and most affordable one I've come across. This cozy throw blanket is a great accent piece at the foot of your bed but would also elevate the look of a chair or sofa. It's made of acrylic yarn and is available in nine colors, including beige, ivory, and pink. It's also more lightweight than similar blankets made of wool.
A helpful review: “We chose this chenille chunky blanket in lieu of the more popular wool chunky blankets. We are so very happy that we did — chenille against the skin is so much softer and cozier than wool. What a beautiful blanket. It came vacuum sealed and fluffed right up upon opening the package — which arrived much earlier than anticipated. This is a WIN!”
Chenille may refer to either a type of yarn or fabric made from it. Chenille is the French word for caterpillar whose fur the yarn is supposed to resemble.
History[edit]
According to textile historians, chenille-type yarn is a recent invention, dating to the 18th century and believed to have originated in France. The original technique involved weaving a 'leno' fabric and then cutting the fabric into strips to make the chenille yarn.
Alexander Buchanan, a foreman in a Paisley fabric mill, is credited with introducing chenille fabric to Scotland in the 1830s. Here he developed a way to weave fuzzy shawls. Tufts of coloured wool were woven together into a blanket that was then cut into strips. They were treated by heating rollers in order to create the frizz. This resulted in a very soft, fuzzy fabric named chenille. Another Paisley shawl manufacturer went on to further develop the technique. James Templeton and William Quiglay worked to refine this process while working on imitation oriental rugs.[1] The intricate patterns used to be difficult to reproduce by automation, but this technique solved that issue. These men patented the process but Quiglay soon sold out his interest. Templeton then went on to open a successful carpet company (James Templeton & Co) that became a leading carpet manufacturer throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Dalton in Northwest Georgia became the tufted bedspread capital of the US thanks to Catherine Evans (later adding Whitener) who initially revived the handcraft technique in the 1890s. Hand-tufted bedspreads with an embroidered appearance became increasingly popular and were referred to as 'chenille' a term which stuck.[2] With effective marketing, chenille bedspreads appeared in city department stores and tufting subsequently became important to the economic development of North Georgia, maintaining families even through the Depression era.[2] Merchants organised 'spread houses' where products tufted on farms were finished using heat washing to shrink and 'set' the fabric. Trucks delivered pattern-stamped sheets and dyed chenille yarns to families for tufting before returning to pay the tufters and collect the spreads for finishing. By this time, tufters all over the state were creating not only bedspreads but pillow shams and mats and selling them by the highway.[2] The first to make a million dollars in the bedspread business, was Dalton County native, B. J. Bandy with the help of his wife, Dicksie Bradley Bandy, by the late 1930s, to be followed by many others.[2]
In the 1930s, usage for the tufted fabric became widely desirable for throws, mats, bedspreads, and carpets, but not as yet, apparel. Companies shifted handwork from the farms into factories for greater control and productivity, encouraged as they were to pursue centralized production by the wage and hour provisions of the National Recovery Administration's tufted bedspread code. With the trend towards mechanization, adapted sewing machines were used to insert raised yarn tufts.[2]
Chenille became popularized for apparel again with commercial production in the 1970s.
Standards of industrial production were not introduced until the 1990s, when the Chenille International Manufacturers Association (CIMA) was formed with the mission to improve and develop the manufacturing processes.[3] From the 1970s each machine head made two chenille yarns straight onto bobbins, a machine could have over 100 spindles (50 heads). Giesse was one of the first major machine manufacturers. Giesse acquired Iteco company in 2010 integrating the chenille yarn electronic quality control directly on their machine. Chenille fabrics are also often used in Letterman jackets also known as 'varsity jackets', for the letter patches.
Description[edit]
The chenille yarn is manufactured by placing short lengths of yarn, called the 'pile', between two 'core yarns' and then twisting the yarn together. The edges of these piles then stand at right angles to the yarn's core, giving chenille both its softness and its characteristic look. Chenille will look different in one direction compared to another, as the fibers catch the light differently. Chenille can appear iridescent without actually using iridescent fibers. The yarn is commonly manufactured from cotton, but can also be made using acrylic, rayon and olefin.
Improvements[edit]
One of the problems with chenille yarns is that the tufts can work loose and create bare fabric. This was resolved by using a low melt nylon in the core of the yarn and then autoclaving (steaming) the hanks of yarn to set the pile in place.
In quilting[edit]
Since the late 1990s, chenille appeared in quilting in a number of yarns, yards or finishes. As a yarn, it is a soft, feathery synthetic that when stitched onto a backing fabric, gives a velvety appearance, also known as imitation or 'faux chenille'. Real chenille quilts are made using patches of chenille fabric in various patterns and colors, with or without 'ragging' the seams.
The chenille effect by ragging the seams, has been adapted by quilters for a casual country look. A quilt with a so-called 'chenille finish' is known as a 'rag quilt' or, a 'slash quilt' due to the frayed exposed seams of the patches and the method of achieving this. Layers of soft cotton are batted together in patches or blocks and sewn with wide, raw edges to the front. These edges are then cut, or slashed, to create a worn, soft, 'chenille' effect.
Care[edit]
Channelers Metaphysical
Many chenille fabrics should be dry cleaned. If hand or machine-washed, they should be machine-dried using low heat, or as a heavy textile, dried flat to avoid stretching, never hung.
Channeler Eq2 Guide
References[edit]
Chenille Yarn
- ^'James Templeton & Co (1843-1938) - GSA Archives'. www.gsaarchives.net.
- ^ abcde'Chenille bedspreads' at New Georgia Encyclopedia
- ^'B&R Chenille'. www.bathandrobes.com.
Chenille Bedspreads
External links[edit]
- Chenille at apparelsearch.com
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). 'Chenille' . Encyclopædia Britannica. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Comments are closed.